Improvement in water-meters



uiten Ltetes strut @ffice ABRA'M HEATON, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO 'HIMSELF AND BRADBURY de GOODSELL, Ol?4 SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 80,409, dated July 28, 1868.

` IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, ABRAM HEATON, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a. new Improvement in Water-Meters; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, `and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-j Figure 1, a side view, and in Figure 2 a central section.

This invention relates to,an improvement in meters for ascertaining the quantity of water llowing through pipes, the meter to he placed in such connection with the pipes that the water passing through the pipes will also pass through' the meter; and the invention consists in the arrangement of pistons within a cylinder, and communicating with the opposite sides of the pistons by connections from one portion of the cylinder to another, so that passing the tluid causes a reciprocating movement of the pistons, and, being in connection with competent mechanism, indicates the number of movements of the piston, (the quantity discharged at each movement of the pistons being knowln) and consequently the quantity of luid which has passed through the meter.

In order to the clear understanding of my invention, I- will fully describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A is a cylinder, of suitable material, and of" a diameter and length proportionate to the quantity of Huid which is required to be passed through the meter, the said cylinder closed at both ends by suitable caps B, and divided at its centre into two parts by a partition, a, each of the two parts being bored out or finished smoothly on the inside, to reeive and allow the free play of the pistons to'be placed within the cylinder. Into one end of the cylinder, pistons 1, 2, 3, and 4, upon a common rod, C, are placed, the said pistons being fixed rmly 'to the rod, and the rod a little shorter than the length of the cylinder, so that the lfour pistons and rod may 'play freely within the cylinder, as more clearly hereafter shown. In the opposite end of the cylinder, similar pistons, 5, 6, 7, and 8, are arranged upon a rod, D, in like manner.

E is the inlet-tube, connecting with thc water-pipe, and connecting at c with the part C of the cylinder, and at d with the part D of the cylinder. F is the outlet-pipe, connecting at the two points e andf with the 'part C of the cylinder, and at g and h with the part D of the cylinder. The connections from the inlet-pipe are between the two centre pistons, in each part of the cylinder, and the outlet-pipe between eech two of the extreme pistons, in both parts of the cylinder, and the length of the piston-rod is such that the pistons can move only so far, that the piston upon each side of the outlet and inlet will never pass 4over either the outlet and inlet to change the chambers formed. by the pistons; therefore the space between the two centre pistons, in each part oi' the cylinder, may be termed inlet-chambers, and tho two spaces between the extreme pistons in each cylinder may be termed outlet-chambers.

From a point above the highest point at which the piston 1 may rise, u communication is formed through a'tube, G, to a point near the second piston 6, in theother cylinder, as at z', so that the movement of the piston 6 to the position denoted in blue, passes over the-'opening z' into the tube G, thus changing the chamber from which the tube G opens; a similar tube, H, communicating in like manner from a point below the lower piston S, to a point in thc other cylinder above the piston it, so that in the movement of the said pist-on 2 over the opening l, the action is thc same as describod'for the piston 6. From a point immediately below the partition a, a connection, I, leads to a point above the piston 3, at m, so as to open into the cylinder, and so that 'the piston 3, in its movement, will pass overthe opening m in like manner as described for'the openings l and From a point immediately above the partition a, a pipe, L, communicates with the other part of the cylinder at ln, immediately above the piston 7, so that the said piston 7 will operate over the opening n, in like mannerl as described for the other openings.

Thus constructed, andthe pistons in the position denoted in iig. 2, the uid admitted into the pip-e E passes immediately into the cylinderbelow the piston 6, as denoted in the arrow in blue, `thence through the pipe I below the piston 4, which causes all the pistons in the upper cylinder to rise to the point denoted in red, where they are arrested in that position. In this movement, the piston 2, it will be seen, has passed above the openinglof the connection H, therefore communication is now opened, so that the fluid, as denoted by the red arrows, will pass through the upper part of the cylinder, throug'h the connection H, below the'lower piston 8, which will force all the pistons in that portion of the cylinder to rise, as denoted in blue. Thus rising, the piston 7 will have passed up over the opening n, and the piston 6 over the opening t'. Communication is now opened, as denoted by the black arrows, from the inlet d, through thefpipze G, to the upper cylinder, above the ,Y

piston 1, and also from below the piston 4 communication is open to below the piston 7, so that the iiuid below the piston 4, which caused the rise of the pistons, may pass freely out through the opening z to the outlet, and permit the inflowing Huid above the piston 1 to return the pistons in that part of the cylinder to their rst position. This' return opens the tube I to receive the fluid from the inlet c, and conduct the fluid to above the piston 5, so as to force the pistons in the lower part of the cylinder to return to their first position. The piston 2 having returned below the opening l of the connection H, the nd which first forced the pistons in the lower part of the cylinder upward, passes through the connection H and outlet e to the tube F, then, as before, the fluid passes below the piston 4, to cause the pistons in that part of the cylinder` to again rise, which will force the fluid above the piston 1 to rbturn through the tube G and openingz'into the other cylinder, thence through the opening g to the outlet-pipe F; then, in like manner, the lower pistons are again raised, and the fluid above the upper piston passes through the tube I to the other part of the cylinder, thence through l the openingfinto the outlet-tube I".

-I have represented the connections as being made by the tubes as the most convenient manner of illustration, but the cylinder, with the outlets and inlets,lmuy be all cast together, or formed in any convenient man `1er.

In order to ascertain the number of movements of the pistons, I arrange a lever, r, which extends into the cylinder, between any two of the pistons, (here represented as between 6 and 7,) the said lever being constructed so that each movement of the pistons turns .the lever, that is, moving in-one direction, the lever is turned in that direction, and, on the return ofthe pistons,v the other piston returns the lever. Thus each full movement of the pistons gives a full vibration of the said lever. Other arrangements may, however, be applied for denoting the movements of the pistons. 7

I have illustrated the cylinder as in two parts, and this, generally, I believe to be the better plan, but, if preferred, the tivo parts of the cylinder, as here represented, may be separated, so as to form two distinct cylinders, the connections, however, in all casos, and the arrangement of the piston, being the same.

vHaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is -1 The arrangement of the .two pistons or series of pistons, each piston. or series of pistons upon its independent rod, and operating in its-respective cylinders, andthe said cylinders connected by passages in the manner described, and provided with inlet and outlet-connections, so that the pistons operate in their respective cyinders substantially in the manner herein set forth.

ABRAM HEATON.

Witnesses:

A. J. Tumrrs, MICHAEL RYAN. 

